Indonesia-based ride hailing company Go-Jek plans to launch its own online video subscription service, Go-Play. The video service will be available for daily, monthly and yearly subscriptions and the expected launch date is not disclosed yet.

• Visa introduces the Visa Global Transit Solutions, a worldwide programme to foster seamless commuting thorough contactless payments.
• The new Visa Ready for Transit program incorporates new standards to simplify the certification of payment solutions for operators and transit solution providers easing consumers’ doubts.
• Visa looks at the future with an Innovation Center based in London researching the future of transportation and new technologies.

Uber partnered with Barclays and Visa to launch Uber Visa Card. In addition to increasing incentive offerings and enhancing the payment experience, Uber also aims to access customer information and data to expand its role in online and offline commerce.

Google launched an audio QR code-based mobile payments app in India. The new service “Tez” will allow customers to make in-store and online mobile transactions by using ultrasonic sounds authorisation, mobile numbers or email address.

Malaysia’s direct-to-home (DTH) satellite pay TV monopoly is set to end. Ansa Broadcast plans to launch a new DTH pay TV service in Malaysia, ending a two decade monopoly held by Astro Malaysia Holdings (Astro).

Three of South Korea's leading broadcasters have launched Kocowa (Korean Content Wave), an online video streaming service, in the US. The service, launched on 24 July, is backed by Korean Content Platform (KCP), a US-based joint venture company between Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS). The service offers content from these broadcasters with English subtitles, with some shows airing six hours after broadcast in South Korea.

Indian messaging app provider Hike launched Hike 5.0 in June 2017, claiming it to be the biggest update on the messaging platform that is compatible with Android 4.0 and above. New features include:
• Personalised theme
• Magic selfie
• Timeline
• Custom stickers
• Hike Wallet
• Blue packet – digital gift money
At launch, Hike partnered with Yes Bank and joined the Indian government’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface) programme to allow users to make P2P and bank-to-bank transactions, as well as send Blue Packet (digital gift money) to other Hike users.

Amazon has partnered with UK-based mobile carrier billing vendor Bango to enable its Japanese retail store customers to charge transactions to their mobile phone bills.
At launch, Amazon will support billing for customers of NTT Docomo and Au (KDDI), which claim a combined total of over 120m subscriptions accounting for around 75% of the Japanese market according to IHS Markit data.

Google has followed Apple by launching its Android Pay mobile payments service in Japan after Apple Pay’s debut in October 2016. To launch in Japan, Apple had to make sure its devices are compatible with FeliCa – the local contactless technology developed by Sony. Apple has designed its iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and Apple Watch Series 2 sold in Japan to support FeliCa Type-F NFC contactless technology. This will allow Apple Pay users to pay for in-store shopping and public transportation with Suica - the prepaid card.

Facebook has introduced a second version of Messenger platform; it allows developers to integrate payments with chatbots and create web views into conversations. With 1.7 billion monthly active users, Facebook’s user based is an attractive platform for business to consumer communications. The new payments integration has benefits for both Facebook and its business partners

Samsung’s Samsung Pay mobile payments service has served more than 100 million global transactions since its launch in 2015, as well as recording more than 4 million membership and loyalty cards registered in the US and South Korea.